FilmIndia (Feb-Dec 1949)

( This is the reader's forum — as and when space permits. From the producer to the lay film-goer, every one can write to the Editor and ventilate his grievance. For every letter published in these columns, the publishers will pay Rs. SiLetters should be signed and marked " Woes And Echoes". Photographs of the readers will be published along with their letters, if convenient. — The Editor. ) I MY HOME IS YOURS TOO ! ' A copy of the September 1948 lie of your magazine came into • hands by rather a circuitous • ite recently. I found it extremely eresting and must congratulate u on producing a magazine which highly amusing in parts and high^1 frank in others. Ifr' That your criticisms should be 'jfcnk is self evident if they are to Mve any value in shaping the deveijment of India's film techniques d in protecting India's film indus J against, what I consider to be Jisonous Western influences. India ■ common with other Oriental counties has a culture of its own of lich we in the Vi estern hemislere know only too little as you lint out in one part of this issue ! Filmindia. and films showing this lture at its best uninfluenced by |Veetern ' ideas would receive as >od a welcome as did Ram Gopal's cent presentation of dancing (to xy poor musical accompaniment !). aus you see many of your servients are reflected by some of us ritish people, and in particular I tree wholeheartedly with your cricism of Kordas ' Baghdad-kahor '. I would however hasten to add that most people here realized that this film was not " technically correct ' and w as purely entertaining fantasy. " But this was not my purpose of writing to you. It is because of your statement at the bottom of the right column of p. 25 . I can quite honestly say that the vast majority, not all you will note, of British people are neither sour nor regretful about India's independence. We regard it as a logical step in India's development and one which people like yourselves deserve. e know what freedom means and hope for friendly co-operation with all free peoples including Indians. I agree that one might not get this impression from the actions of our politicians or our countrymen who were previously in your country, and I would implore you not to judge us all by their standards. We in Britain know the arrogance of some of our colonial people and dislike them for it as much as you must have done. " I regard it as unfortunate that you adopt your sour attitude towards us and share it with your readers, but I must agree that you people have good reason to be so. However if you are 2oin? to treat all of us as rom picture to picture Madhubala's personality is growing fast and throwing greater shadow of talent on the screen. Here she is in M Aparadhi ". a Prabhat picture. enemies. I can assure you that I am going to do my best to show Indians that Britons are not like what you have come to know us. " You, Sir, are welcome to make my home a second home if ever you come here to England." Leslie A. Cooper. ESSEX, ENGLAND. HI LLO, BADAMI ! " Recently I went to a local cinema to see an old favourite picture. Before the actual picture began we were shown the Indian News Review, a Government of India round up of Indian news. As I guess, this production was meant for the information of the masses but the commentary was so strictly in Hindi that I wondered whether this was produced for the sake of our Munshis, Pants. Tandons and Kathjus. instead of the teeming millions who understand only simple Hindustani. The titles were also in the Nagari script, thereby keeping millions of people from know ing what was being shown. It is not a state secret that our present Government is against Urdu, but isn't it in the interest of the nation to use Hindustani both in the Nagari and Persian scripts? By using only the Devnagri script our Government is keeping millions of Indians in the dark and making them foreigners to their ow n language. Why not follow our beloved Bapuji and give us simple Hindustani, as it was written and spoken before 15th August, 1947, in both the Nagari and Persian scripts? It is no use talking of following the ideals of Gandhiji when some of his most faithful followers like Mr. Munshi and Govind Vallabh Pant want Hindi, a language understood by hardly 10 c'c of the Hindustani speaking millions, as the lingua franca of India. " As for this Indian News Review, it would be a mercy of mercies if the Government stop producing the same. The technicians, the directors and the editors of this department of the Government of India are utterly incapable of doing anything intelligent. It is a waste of precious celluloid in these days of film shortage to produce films so duli 63